Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Random projects crossed off the to-do list! ...and how to save time making tortillas!

It has been a busy time around our house, but it is
wonderful to see what we have accomplished in this time as well. School is
fully in swing (but it has been for several months now),and we are still trying to tweak our studies
to align more with what God’s Word says about discipleship (but that is a whole
topic within itself).In the midst of
the every day, I have been able to complete a few projects that have been on my
“to do” list for quite awhile and wanted to share them!

WHAT TO DO WITH AN
OLD SPARE WINDOW:When we redid the
house out here, I immediately had some projects in mind for old windows. One
project was to make a chalkboard (or two). I chose the windows that were the
appropriate size for my space and painted them with a fresh coat of paint. I
wasn’t too concerned about being perfect, because I wanted the rustic
look.I then primed (right on the glass)
them with a magnetic primer. My hope was to get a magnetic chalkboard… however,
I shouldn’t have wasted my $$ on that part because even after 3 coats of the
primer, the ability for a magnetic to stick to it is sub-par.Anyway, I then painted 3 coats of chalkboard
paint onto the glass and that was done! My hubby lovingly hung them for me and
I’m very pleased with the outcome. So, for the cost of the chalkboard paint I
have two great chalkboards!

WHAT TO DO WITH AN
OLD BOARD:I’ve been wanting to do
this for quite some time. I love having scripture posted all around my house…
it is a great way for us all to memorize it as well as great reminders of God’s
truth each time we read it.I found an
appropriate board lying around in our barn. I painted it with some leftover
paint (again, I wanted a rustic look). Then I used chalk to draw my words on
the board. When I had the right size and shape, I painted right over the chalk
with some other left over paint. I love how it turned out. This picture was
taken before we got it hung on the wall (about 4 inches higher than where it
was sitting for the photo op.I have
another board I am doing for my girls’ room, but I wanted to use pink paint for
the letters and didn’t have any. So that continues to be on my to do list!

WHAT TO DO WITH AN OLD
DECK: We have an old redwood deck on the east side of our house that really
is an eye sore. It seemed wasteful to just junk it and start over. Sure, the
boards were shabby and a bit splintery… but they weren’t warped at all.I found a product called Restore at Lowes and
it promised to coat and fill in gaps up to ¼ inch wide while providing a non
slip surface. It is supposed to be good for 12 years. We decided to give it a
shot. It was a bit pricey ($1.35/sq. foot) but that was much cheaper than buying
a new deck.I first powerwashed off the
deck, let it dry, swept it, and then decided it was time to apply the
product.The stuff is much thicker than
paint and you are supposed to use their roller to apply 2 coats to the surface.
I brushed the edges and used a brush to fill in the bigger gaps and holes. Then
I rolled the rest on. We are very pleased with how it turned out! So far, it
seems really durable and has stood up to dog claws and a bunch of kids. We will
see what the future brings!

The next project is to replace the windows and doors!

HOW TO SAVE TIME
MAKING TORTILLAS: I have a tip for anyone who makes tortillas! I
love homemade tortillas. They are cheap to make and taste great.The problem is that I spend a LOT of time
rolling each one out with my antique roller that keeps losing one of its
handles. Plus, when I’m going to the trouble of making tortillas, I make a
bunch of them while I’m at it. Really, I spend an hour or more just ROLLING
them out!Then I got to thinking… why
can’t I use my kitchen aid pasta maker attachment on my mixer to flatten them
out? Sure, they may be “oval” in their shape, but it isn’t like I get perfect
circles when I do it manually anyway. So I gave it a shot and what takes me
more than an hour to do manually, I was able to do in 15 minutes!I ran them through the “roller” at the widest
setting (1) the first time, then squished them at the 5 setting the second
time. I then cooked them as I normally do in my cast iron skillet and the job
was soon done! A quadruple batch of tortillas!! Woo Hoo!! So if you happen to
have the pasta attachment for your kitchen aid… put it to use for rolling out
tortillas too!

LABELS, LABELS,
LABELS: I’ve always imagined a pantry that was organized and labeled. Since
we have been buying more things in bulk (accommodating our growing family) it
now has become a necessity to repackage, store, organize, and label!I bought some vinyl chalkboard rolls from
Hobby Lobby and my good friend was kind enough to put her “Cricut” to use and
cut some fancy labels for me. I used a chalk “marker” to write on the labels,
which proved to be neater and longer lasting than regular chalk. I love how
everything is coming together… even though it isn’t complete yet. What is your
favorite method for labeling and organizing???

Sorry, this isn't the most thought provoking blog entry... just a bunch or random thoughts! But I did want to share some of these easy, low cost projects that have been keeping me busy!

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About Us

We are first followers of Christ, aiming to bring Him glory in all that we do. The Lord has blessed us with 6 wonderful children and we take our responsibility as parents to "bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" very seriously. We do not do it perfectly and we have to lean on the Lord each day for wisdom. We do believe that the scriptures are sufficient in gaining wisdom and knowledge throughout every walk of life.

We appreciate all of the mentors the Lord has placed in our lives. I'm hoping that through this blog we can encourage others and be encouraged as well.